Dragon Punch
by VaultEscapeArtist
Summary: Anders is finally captured by templars and brought to the Kirkwall Circle. Meredith decides that in five days time he will be made tranquil. His has five days to escape before the rite of tranquility is performed. His weapon is his mind.
1. Chapter 1: Sucker Punch

_**Dragon Punch **_

_**Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover**_

_**Chapter 1: Dragon Punch **_

_**Anders/F!Hawke**_

_**Pairings: **__Anders/F!Hawke, Cullen/Bethany, Jowan/Merrill_

_**Summary: **____Anders is finally captured by templars and brought to the Kirkwall Circle. Meredith decides that in five days time he will be made tranquil. His has five days to escape before the rite of tranquility is performed. His weapon is his mind._

___I own nothing. Some of the lines here are from the SuckerPunch Screenplay and are owned by Zach Synder.  
_

___This resulted from a text post by doubleddemi and further discussion about the idea of a Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover with doubleddemi and lilou88. Original idea by doubleddemi, written with her permission. All credit goes to her._

___**Cast:**_

_**Baby Doll:**__Anders ____(Blondie) _**Sweet Pea:**_Marian Hawke_

_**Rockett:**__Bethany Hawke ____(Sunshine) _**Blondie:**_Merrill ____(Daisy)_

_**Amber:**__Jowan ____(Sanguine) _**Doctor/Madame Gorski:**_First Enchanter Orsino_

_**Blue:**__Meredith (After The Icon Influenced Her) **The Cook: **__Ser Alrik_

_**The Mayor:**__Viscounte Dumar **The High Roller/The Lobotomist: **__Ser Otto_

_**Other Characters:**__Cullen, Fenris, TBD_

"Run," the blond apostate whispered to his companion, his hand pale and tense around his friend's arm. "Karl, run. _Now_."

They had been through this so many times before that Anders didn't need to say another word. Karl was gone, sprinting to the tavern's only exit. Karl made it past the mage hunter that was drinking alone at a table. The templar had tried to snatch a handful of Karl's robes as he ran past, but missed thanks to a quick burst of lightning from Anders' staff. The templar was knocked backwards, giving Anders the opportunity to jump over his body and out the door. He caught up to Karl in moments and they ran together into the surrounding forest. If they were careful they could shake the templar off their trail by hiding in the trees. Just as they had done last week.

They weren't so lucky this time.

Anders and Karl weren't defenseless, but this templar had been hunting them for weeks and they were exhausted. The templar, however, seemed refreshed and blood thirsty as he hacked at them relentlessly. Desperate, Anders wildly shot flame from the end of his staff towards the templar. Horrified, Anders watched as the templar dove to the side, the flames missing him and instead burning Karl who was behind him. Karl cried out and fell backwards. Quickly, the templar sprang up to bury his blade into the incapacitated mage, but found Karl to already be gone.

"Maker. _No_." Anders stared in disbelief at the fallen body of his comrade, his staff falling from his suddenly weak and bloody fingers. "_Karl_."

The templar mage hunter laughed darkly as Anders fell beside his companion and surrounded them both with the soft blue glow of his healing magic. The templar wiped a bit of sweat from his brow and watched the mage's frantic attempts to revive his friend. "You've gone and killed him. If you had better _control_, he might have survived. It's obvious whose side the Maker is on today."

Anders glared at the templar as his eye sight became blurred. His fists beat against Karl's still chest as if that would start his loved one's heart again.

A gloved hand grabbed the back of Anders' robe and dragged him away from Karl's body. "Perfect. I'll tell the Knight-Commander _you_ killed the mage. _Burned him alive._ She'll lock you up tight. I'll get a raise for capturing a mage possessed enough to murder his only friend and the templar's will make sure you never escape again. Maker, I am _so tired _of tracking you down over and over again."

Reaching for his staff many moments too late, Anders watched himself being torn from the corpse of his friend. He screamed in desperation and flailed, but couldn't stop the inevitable. It wasn't long until he could smell rotten fish and the sea and the Kirkwall Circle tower was looming over him.

"Welcome to the Gallows, mage."

Out of instinct Anders shut his eyes, retreating inside the only haven that was left to him—the safety of his mind. He was half carried, half dragged into the Circle. The Knight-Commander was waiting for him, her stern gaze fixated on his approach. Her first words were to the templar who had captured Anders.

"What did you do to him?" Knight-Commander Meredith gripped Anders by his swollen jaw and studied the multiple bruises on his face.

"Nothing he didn't deserve," the templar replied, though he had the grace enough to look ashamedly down at his boots. "He burnt his friend alive. And this is his tenth, eleventh, time escaping. I am afraid I must suggest he undergo the right of Tranquility."

"Must you?" Meredith asked, raising a brow. She let Anders face go.

"It is better that he be made Tranquil. He has broken every Circle rule that has ever been put into place and murdered one of his own."

"_I did not murder Karl!"_

Meredith considered his words thoughtfully as the templar went on. "Also, if the Grand Cleric or anyone else were to ask him about his, ah, capture, he has prepared a number of lies that may convince the weak minded to pity his kind."

"Lies?" his Knight-Commander repeated angrily. "Already this city has begun to fall into chaos. We cannot permit our image to be tarnished by...lies," she finished reluctantly.

Meredith and the templar led Anders up so stairs until they reached a very large room filled with sullen and scared mages. They continued to discuss Anders' future and he continued to eavesdrop, but he also examined the others around him. One mage in particular caught his eye. He had heard her telling someone she couldn't focus while being watched as he had entered. Now her intense cyan eyes stared right through him as an elf who appeared to be Kirkwall's First Enchanter calmly spoke to her.

"_You_ control this world," he informed her, ignoring the watching eyes of the templars.

"Let the pain go. Let the hurt go. Let the guilt go."

Anders suddenly felt as if the First Enchanter was addressing him as well. Meredith grimly whispered to the templar that brought him in, "I agree with your plan, though you could have made this less messy. I don't have a templar that can perform the ritual on hand. But I can Ser Otto brought in within five days. He can get it done."

Anders knew that meant he had five days to escape, though he had yet to figure out how. This place seemed impossible to break out of and he considered himself to be a bit of an expert at escaping Circles.

The Enchanted continued, "What you're imaging right now, that world you control, that place can be as real as _any_ pain."

Anders relaxed and let his heavy eyelids finally close. Anders could sense the fade greet him as this grim reality died and was replaced. Through his sheer will the stone walls of the Circle slowly vanished and were replaced with a slightly less intimidating scene. The last thing he felt there was the tight and stern grips of the templars and the cold stone underneath his boots. And what he last heard?

"Don't worry. He won't even remember his name when I'm done with him."

The fade, this mist, began to clear and Anders could make out through the fog what this new place he had created looked like. He saw a sign, not one that read "The Circle of Kirkwall", but one that read as "The Blooming Rose". Voices breached the silence as he felt himself dragged forward and he almost lost consciousness.

"He killed a man—one of his own. The jailor we paid off said that he'll be here for five days before Ser Otto and his guards come for him. He's to be executed, sure, but that doesn't mean he can't make me some money while he's still alive. Five days is plenty enough time for him to make more than double than what we payed that scumbag to release him into our custody."

"As you say, Meredith."

Anders' eyes flickered open again just as he was being thrown to the ground, dark crimson carpet rising up to meet with his face. "Orsino, we have another whore for you."

"An escort," a man corrected indignantly and Anders looked up to see a slender, grey haired elf looking down at him sympathetically.

"Whatever," the guard that brought him in replied tersely. "He's mad that one. Watch him. Though I'm sure Meredith will teach him what's what."

"That'll be all." Orsino waved the guards away and helped Anders to stand. "You're not going to cause trouble, are you, Blondie?"

"No, ser," he replied in shock, dusting himself off and glancing about him. "Is this a…brothel?"

"It is your new place of employment. The only one you'll ever have, I'm afraid. My apologies for the guards, by the way. Did they explain to you why you're here?"

Anders glanced up in shock. "I heard I'm here on bail to work until my execution date," he replied weakly, adding at the last second, "And my name isn't-"

He cut Anders off. "Blondie is your new nickname. We go by nicknames here." Orsino turned around and motioned to a woman who was lounging on a couch, surrounded by men on either side. She excused herself and sashayed towards them, her face slipping from its former pleasant and seductive mask to a more focused and grim expression. "Yes, Master Orsino?"

"Hawke, this is our new…recruit. Blondie. Take him and introduce him to Sunshine and the others, would you?"

"I can't, ser." Hawke inspected Anders critically before she turned back to Orsino. "I'm, ah, with someone. Get my sister Sunshine to do it." The dark haired woman looked behind her and motioned to another girl, this one's hair as dark as her sisters. They didn't share the same brilliant blue eyes, but they were clearly related. "Sunshine!" The woman came over at her sister's call. Hawke hooked an arm around her sibling's shoulders. "Hey, show this Blondie around. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course." Sunshine grabbed Anders' arm when he failed to follow her immediately. "Come on. _Most_ of us don't bite."

Anders let himself be led. A tour didn't matter. He would not be here long. Only five days and after that he would either be free or dead.

It was possible that he could be both.


	2. Chapter 2: The Wiseman

_**Dragon Punch **_

_**Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover**_

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Anders/F!Hawke**_

_**Summary: **____While in the hands of the Kirkwall Circle, Anders creates his own world where he has five days to escape life as a brothel whore before Ser Otto and his guards have him executed for murder. He enlists the help of the others that are trapped there as well; Hawke, Sunshine, Daisy, and Sanguine (Jowan) agree to join Anders in his escape._

___I own nothing. This resulted from a text post by doubleddemi and further discussion about the idea of a Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover with doubleddemi and lilou88._

___Original idea by doubleddemi. All credit goes to her._

___**Cast:**_

_**Baby Doll:**__Anders ____(Blondie)__**Sweet Pea:**__Marian Hawke_

_**Rockett:**__Bethany Hawke ____(Sunshine)__**Blondie:**__Merrill ____(Daisy)_

_**Amber:**__Jowan ____(Sanguine)__**Doctor/Madame Gorski:**__First Enchanter Orsino_

_**Blue:**__Meredith __**The Cook: **__Ser Alrik_

_**The Mayor:**__Viscounte Dumar __**The High Roller/The Lobotomist: **__Ser Otto_

_**The Wiseman: **__Varric __**Other Characters:**__Cullen, TBD_

Sunshine gave Anders the full tour before leading him into the escorts' quarters. "And here's where you'll be staying." She showed Anders the bed that had been set up for him. "Here. You're going to need to change. And quickly. Meredith likes to make surprise inspections."

Anders waited a moment before Sunshine got the hint and turned her back so he could change. "You're going to have to get over that," she said, crossing her arms and waiting until he gave her the okay to turn back around. "Now you're ready to meet the others. The rest are with Master Orsino."

"What are they doing?"

"Training," she answered honestly. When he looked confused she continued, "Meredith likes—loves perfection. Customers should have no complaints, as she keeps reminding us. So she has us...put on a little show for the customers. Make them feel...special. Some of us dance, sing, just talk...I won't go into the otherperformances." The woman's light brown eyes softened with sympathy. "Meredith uses this business as a front. She gets most of us, the escorts, illegally. If we don't keep her customers happy, someone may reveal that some of us are slaves, or have a debt that no matter how hard we work seems to never get smaller." She paused then, angrily and lost in thought for a moment. "Or they are criminals who should really be in jail instead of a brothel. I heard you won't be here long. Why's that?"

"It's complicated."

She thankfully left it at that. "My story's...complicated, as well."

It didn't appear that she wanted to elaborate so Anders asked, "Why are there so many guards? It's just a brothel. Is it because I'm here?"

"I mentioned you weren't the only criminal. We're not allowed to leave, hence the guards. Some of the escorts have tried to escape, of course, but..." Sunshine fell silent as a guard walked past before she went on. "They didn't make it."

Anders knew from her tone what that really meant. Sunshine and Anders stepped into another room. This one had a wooden floor and mirrors from wall to wall. Most of the escorts were practicing their dancing, but there were other talents being perfected. The elf, Orsino, was going about the room, giving advice and suggestions. Anders followed Sunshine obediently. Hawke watched them approach and whispered something to the elf and the man standing next to her.

Hawke stretched and greeted them. "Are you done with Blondie, yet?" Her face was blank and waiting for a response, but her voice had a bit of a sarcastic drawl to it.

"I wanted to introduce Blondie to the others," Sunshine answered, trying to ignore her sister's lack of manners. Turning back to Anders, she said cheerfully, "You've already met my sister, Hawke." Anders was then brought in front of the man and the elf, who both were smiling at him. "And this is Daisy and Sanguine."

Daisy waved her slender fingers at him, but was interrupted by Sanguine before she could start rambling.

"Blondie, there's a rumor going around that Ser Otto and the rest of the city guards are letting you work here as a favor to Meredith. And that in five days, they're coming back for you. To see you hung."

"That's a little personal, don't you think?" Hawke asked, slapping at Sanguine's head. "That's his business, not ours. You need to work on your people skills. The last customer you had mentioned that you were a tad whiny. And she was being nice."

"Yes, sister. You're one to talk." Sunshine laughed and took up stretching along side her sister. "I think it was just yesterdaythat you made a joke concerning the size of a customer's, ah, package."

"That was comedy gold and I should have received a tip for it. Well..."

Orsino whistled, cutting off (thankfully) the rest of Hawke's joke. Anders looked to Orsino, as everyone else was doing, and awaited further instruction.

"Meredith has informed me that we have a new recruit. Blondie," Orsino waved him over. "We'll work on your act now."

Hawke stepped forward indignantly. "Master Orsino, I thought we were working on my performance today?"

"You're not mentally with us today, Hawke. That was obvious from your warm up exercises. Take a break." Orsino waited until Anders was next to him. The elf circled around him, inspecting him until he said, "Do you dance then? What can you do?"

Anders wanted to answer, but he saw Meredith and her two body guards enter and was struck silent with bitter anger. He watched Hawke move over to stand next to Meredith, the two of them watching Anders together. "I don't dance, no." He stayed still and quiet. He was not going to perform for Meredith. Ever.

Orsino's green eyes flicked over to see Meredith's displeased expression and moved back to watch Anders. He stepped behind, and spoke quietly into his ear. "If you do not perform, you have no purpose. And we do not keep things here that have no purpose." Anders avoided Orsino's direct gaze when he suddenly stood in front of him. "Your fight for survival? It begins right now. You don't think you're strong enough? You are. You have all the weapons you need. Now fight."

Assuming Anders had given up, Meredith had turned to leave. Hawke, Sunshine, and the other escorts were glancing away, embarrassed for him. Anders took a breath, shut his eyes, and then they were all watching.

It was cold. Was he back in Ferelden? Anders brushed a few snowflakes off of his eyelashes and examined his surroundings. He was standing on a mountain, that much was clear. And the only path open to him was forward. An abandoned Chantry chapel begged him to enter and so he did, finding out quickly that he wasn't alone.

A dwarf had his back to him, a crossbow sitting between his shoulder blades. He had just finished lighting an obscene number of alter candles when he spoke. "Your boots. You're tracking snow inside. You must be from the Anderfels."

"Oh." Anders glanced down at his dark boots guiltily. "Should I take them off, then?"

"Too late for that, Blondie. Get over here." The dwarf turned around, revealing his lack of a beard. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," Anders answered quickly, raising up his hands.

The dwarf's mouth quirked up. "Let me ask it another way. What are you looking for?"

This time Anders considered the question. "I need to escape."

"Freedom," he smirked. "That wasn't so hard, was it? I'm going to help you get free."

He was a bit doubtful, but Anders didn't voice it. The dwarf opened up a small case, revealing a type of weapon Anders had never seen before. The bladed staff the dwarf presented next, however, was very familiar. "These are your weapons. This pistol and this staff belong to you now. Take them and your journey to freedom begins."

He only hesitated a second before taking them, placing the gun in the holster on his shoulder and the staff across his back. "How do I get out?" If Anders was going to do this, he wanted there to be some sort of plan.

The dwarf provided the details, guiding Anders out of the chapel. "You will need five items for this journey. A map, fire, a knife, and a key. And before you say, "but that's only four!", the last item you need is a secret. Smartass," he added. When Anders looked put off at the idea of a "secret" item, he said, grimly, "It will be a deep sacrifice and only you can find it. Find it and you will be free."

Anders nodded before the dwarf turned him around and pushed him towards three menacing and armored ogres. "Oh, and one more thing...defend yourself."

Twirling back around, Anders went to ask the dwarf for help or advice or anything, but the chapels door swung shut, sealing the dwarf inside and keeping Anders outside. Hearing a low growl behind him, Anders knew he would have to face the ogres alone.

The first ogre was the biggest and armed with a large spiked club. It dragged the club, causing great scratches in the dirt and snow. Taking his staff in hand and raising it up defensively, Anders prepared for the ogre to deliver the first strike. It did.

The force if the ogre's club meeting his staff sent Anders flying backwards. He skid against the ice cold stone and felt his staff leave his frozen fingers. As he struggled to sit up, the ogre was there and trying its best to smash Anders into the ground. He rolled to the side, narrowly missing being ground into the dirt. As the ogre kicked at him, Anders rolled forward into a standing position. He ran, fumbling for the gun in his shoulder holster. He pulled it out, stopped, spun around and began firing. The first few bullets glanced off the charging ogre's armor as Anders tried to learn how to aim on the fly. One of the bullets found its mark and shot through the ogre's left eyes and bounced around in its skull. It fell heavily at Ander's feet. Allowing himself a slight smile, Anders walked over the ogre's corpse and picked up his staff.

The other two ogres were defeated easily. Anders holstered his gun and found himself back at the Blooming Rose, surrounded by a dumbstruck crowd.

Meredith eyed him oddly before she and her guards turned away to go back to her office. Hawke stared at Anders most intently, meeting his triumphant gaze before he was half tacked by Sunshine and Daisy.

"How did you do that?"

"Was it magic?" Sanguine wanted to know.

Their questions could barely be heard over Orsino's slow applause.


	3. Chapter 3: The Pig

_**Dragon Punch **_

_**Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Anders/F!Hawke**_

_**Summary: **__While in the hands of the Kirkwall Circle, Anders creates his own world where he has five days to escape life as a brothel whore before Ser Otto and his guards have him executed for murder. He enlists the help of the others that are trapped there as well; Hawke, Sunshine, Daisy, and Sanguine (Jowan) agree to join Anders in his escape._

_I own nothing. This resulted from a text post by doubleddemi and further discussion about the idea of a Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover with doubleddemi and lilou88. Original idea by doubleddemi. All credit goes to her._

_**Cast:**_

_**Baby Doll:**__Anders __(Blondie)__**Sweet Pea:**__Marian Hawke_

_**Rockett:**__Bethany Hawke __(Sunshine)__**Blondie:**__Merrill __(Daisy)_

_**Amber:**__Jowan __(Sanguine)__**Doctor/Madame Gorski:**__First Enchanter Orsino_

_**Blue:**__Meredith __**The Cook: **__Ser Alrik_

_**The Mayor:**__Viscounte Dumar __**The High Roller/The Lobotomist: **__Ser Otto_

_**The Wiseman: **__Varric __**Other Characters:**__Cullen, Fenris, TBD_

_"__I have never seen Orsino applaud like that," Sunshine was saying before her sister butted into the conversation. _

_"__He cheated. That was __magic__." Hawke remained stubbornly unimpressed. "He enchanted us with magic, not with a dance or song or any other type of skill." She noticed that Anders had entered and looked at him pointedly as he sat down on his bed. "My dance says something about who I am." One of her eyebrows raised curiously. "What in the Maker's name did that say about __you__?"_

_He had her answer ready. "It says that I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Even use magic. It says I'm going to escape from here." Anders didn't let Hawke's disbelieving snort bother him. _

_"__Yeah, send me a letter from paradise," she laughed bitterly._

_His words had caught the attention of the others. "You're going to escape?" Daisy repeated in awe. _

_When he nodded, Sunshine asked, "Can I come with you?"_

_"__Maker, let me come, too," Sanguine pleaded, sitting up with interest. Daisy sat behind him and helped him tie his long, black hair back in a ponytail. As she yanked his hair back she reminded him, "No one's ever escaped this place. You know that."_

_"__Yes," Hawke snapped, glaring at her sister with purpose. "The last three that tried to leave __died__. Or is everyone suddenly forgetting that?"_

_Anders watched Sunshine turn away from her sister. "I can go with if I want to," she argued weakly. _

_"__No." Anders could feel that Hawke's hostility was aimed at him. "No, you can't."_

_"__I have a plan," Anders said quietly, but Hawke was not persuaded._

_"__I said, no.__" __And that was the end of that particular conversation. Anders could accept that for now, but he wasn't going to give up so quickly. _

_Sunshine looked down and away when that guard Cullen had caught her staring and had smiled. She disappeared into the kitchens before he could even say hello. Cullen was the nicest of Meredith's guards and the last thing Sunshine wanted was to get him in trouble with the boss. Instead she went about doing her chores in the kitchen, all while under the watchful and leering eyes of Ser Alrik._

_She avoided his obvious stares and finished up peeling potatoes and scrubbing the dishes. She had passed Anders outside where he was stuck scrubbing the floors. _

_Moving into the pantry, she glanced to see what Ser Alrik was doing and found he was more focused on eating a sandwich than watching her ass. Sunshine took a deep breath. Now was her chance. Hawke had always had an affinity for sweets, particularly pastries. Meredith never allowed the escorts any, but the pantry held a number of them, reserved for the guards. One cake would not be missed and after Hawke berated her for taking such a risk, her sister would smile. A genuine smile, not that sarcastic smirk she usually wore. _

_Sunshine had the cake in hand and ready to slip into the pocket of her apron when a strong hand wrapped around her arm and yanked her around. Ser Alrik leered down at her. "What are you doing? __Stealing__?" He pulled her too close and she slapped him out of reflex. _

_In only a second Sunshine found herself on the pantry floor with Ser Alrik on top of her, pushing against her and pinning her wrists above her head. It was difficult to scream, with the air being pushed from her lungs, but she managed it. _

_He was getting callouses in new places, Anders noted when he rubbed his aching hands. Brothel floors were dirtier than he had guessed. The water in his wash bucket was disgusting._

_"__Get off of me!__" _

_Anders turned over the bucket as he ran towards the shout. Some small, self-preserving part of him advised against running towards the sounds of panic, but it was largely ignored. He slowed down when he reached the kitchen, his eyes flitting about wildly. The screaming had ceased, though he had been so sure that the sound had been coming from in here._

_"__You thieving __bitch__!"_

_That curse snapped Anders into action. He saw the open pantry and the two writhing bodies inside. The next few seconds were a blur, but somehow Ser Alrik found a rusty kitchen knife at his throat and someone whispering menacingly into his ear, "I will __not__let you harm her." The blade pressed harder against his skin until Ser Alrik moved, letting Sunshine up and allowing her to run past him. Ser Alrik glared up at Anders, trying to recognize who this new escort was. _

_"__I didn't mean anything. Just teaching the whore a lesson. She was steal-"_

_"__I don't care, pig" Anders backed off Ser Alrik and pushed Sunshine gently towards the door. Unsure what to do with the knife now that the adrenaline had worn off, he let it simply drop to the floor. He followed Sunshine out the door where they ran into Ser Cullen, another one of the guards._

_Sunshine bounced off his chest-plate and crashed into Anders. Cullen flippantly apologized, thinking she was fine, until he saw the glint of what was the start of a tear. "Wait, what happened back there?" he asked after them, catching Sunshine's elbow. "Tell me what's wrong."_

_Anders thought he actually looked a bit hurt and surprised when she shook him off and kept walking. Anders wanted to try his hand at calming her down, but she only thanked him and made an excuse to leave. _

_He frowned. He knew he should have just stabbed Alrik._

_"__All this bloody hair," Hawke was complaining to her sister. She gestured to her reflection in the mirror the two sisters shared. "Look at it. I want to cut it all off, but Meredith won't let me have a knife. Or scissors."_

_"__I think there's a reason for that, Hawke," Sanguine laughed._

_Daisy glanced up from painting her nails. "Oh, is that why Ben only has one eye?"_

_"__No, she did that with a fork."_

_"__Ah. Well."_

_Hawke ignored Daisy and Sanguine's conversation and pinched her sister hard. "What are you thinking about? Because you aren't listening to me, that's for damn sure."_

_"__Blondie has a plan," Sunshine answered after steeling herself. She rushed on when Hawke rolled her eyes and turned away. "Why are you so against it? What if his plan saves us?"_

_"__What if it kills us?" Hawke retorted. "That's just as likely. In fact, death is more than likely. It's almost a certainty." Just to be clear, she added condescendingly, "__We're not going.__"_

_Sunshine set her jaw. "I'm going."_

_"__That's great. You do that. Maybe this decision of yours will turn out better than the last one. Trusting Gamlen __was__the better option. Working for those mercenaries like I wanted would have given us too much dignity and freedom." When Sunshine's palm slapped her across the face, Hawke didn't raise her hand to return the hit. Instead she cracked her jaw and admitted, "Okay, okay. I deserved that. Actually, I probably deserve another. Here. Let me turn the other cheek." She winced, waiting for impact. Instead her sister did something more painful; she told her about Ser Alrik._

_"__I'll kill him," was Hawke's first response, as suicidal as it was._

_Sunshine shook her head. "He was in the kitchen and then...he was on me. I screamed and there he was. Blondie had a knife and he put it to his throat. He saved me."_

_Hawke's eyes widened as Sunshine reached into her apron and placed a sweet cake on one of the dressers. "Here. I got you this."_

_Hawke stared down at the cake, seething, while everyone else in the room found better places to be. They knew her moods. It was best not to be in the room with her when she got like this. That was why she was surprised to see someone walk in. When she realized it was Blondie she was less surprised. He didn't know her yet. Well, he was about to learn more than he ever wanted to._

_"__Blondie," Hawke said, her voice loud enough to make him jump. She stalked over to him, her fists clenching and unclenching. Anders was worried she was about to clock him, but no impact came. Instead he felt a shaky and uncertain hand clap him on the shoulder. "Ah, I need to thank you."_

_Anders allowed himself to relax a bit. "You...what?"_

_"__For Beth-Sunshine, you idiot." Her sincerity gave way to sarcasm for a minute before switching back. "She told me what happened...and what you did." Hawke looked conflicted and then went on. "I can't repay you for that. Ever. But I can try." She gingerly picked up the cake Sunshine had stolen for her and placed it in his hands. "There. You might be executed in four days, but for now you have cake."_

_If she was trying to cheer him up she had an odd way of going about it. Anders couldn't help noticing that she was a little vulnerable at the moment. He had to try. "Hawke, about my plan..."_

_Her cyan eyes rose up to meet his own warm brown ones. For the first time since they had met she didn't look condescending or sarcastic; she looked tired. "You don't think I don't want out of here, too? If I didn't have my sister to watch out for...I wouldn't care if you even __had__a plan. I'd go with you in a heartbeat."_

_"__It's a good plan," he insisted before he had a chance to really process what she had said._

_"__If my sister's going to risk her life it had better be a __great__plan."_

_He could scarcely believe it. She was considering it. Hawke continued, suddenly interested in her shoes, "I know how this place makes her feel. She blames herself for our situation and frankly that's __my__job." When Hawke saw Anders was confused but interested, she explained with a heavy sigh, "We have an uncle. He's heavily in debt, though Sunshine didn't know that when she suggested we go to him for help getting into Kirkwall. My suggestions was mercenary work, but I agreed to go to Gamlen. It wasn't her fault he sold us to Meredith to pay off his debt." _

_Anders wanted to reassure her, as empty as his words may seem. "She won't get hurt-"_

_"__She'd better not," Hawke snapped, all business once more. "After Meredith finishes tonight's last inspection you'll tell us about your plan. But," she warned, pausing by the door on her way out. "If there's too much risk for Sunshine...we're both out. Agreed?"_

_He could only nod at her retreating figure. Anders knew he should feel relieved, but the pressure of getting everyone out safely was crushing him. "It's a good plan," he repeated to himself, sitting down and trying to figure out __how__to get the four items they needed._

_And trying to figure out __what__the fifth item was._


	4. Chapter 4: The Map

_**Dragon Punch **_

_**Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover**_

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Anders/F!Hawke**_

_**Summary: **__While in the hands of the Kirkwall Circle, Anders creates his own world where he has five days to escape life as a brothel whore before Ser Otto and his guards have him executed for murder. He enlists the help of the others that are trapped there as well; Hawke, Sunshine, Daisy, and Sanguine (Jowan) agree to join Anders in his escape._

_I own nothing. This resulted from a text post by doubleddemi and further discussion about the idea of a Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover with doubleddemi and lilou88. Original idea by doubleddemi. All credit goes to her._

_**Cast:**_

_**Baby Doll:**__Anders __(Blondie)__**Sweet Pea:**__Marian Hawke_

_**Rockett:**__Bethany Hawke __(Sunshine)__**Blondie:**__Merrill __(Daisy)_

_**Amber:**__Jowan __(Sanguine)__**Doctor/Madame Gorski:**__First Enchanter Orsino_

_**Blue:**__Meredith __**The Cook: **__Ser Alrik_

_**The Mayor:**__Viscounte Dumar __**The High Roller/The Lobotomist: **__Ser Otto_

_**The Wiseman: **__Varric __**Other Characters:**__Cullen, Fenris, TBD_

_"__Tell 'em the plan, Blondie," Hawke commanded, tossing a piece of chalk Anders' direction. "Lay it all out for us." She gestured impatiently towards a chalkboard hanging on the dressing room wall._

_"__Okay," he agreed, flipping the board around and jotting down four words. "A map. Fire. A knife. And key," he said, remembering that not everyone could read as fluently as he could. "This is what we need to get out of here."_

_Sanguine's brow furrowed. "But why those things? What for?"_

_"__A map so we can navigate the halls and figure out where to go once we escape," Hawke answered before Anders could explain. She looked to him to see if she was correct. Once Anders nodded she kept going, guessing, "Fire's obvious, too. We'll need some sort of distraction. The knife is for protection. And the key..."_

_Sunshine continued for her, "Meredith has a key she wears around her neck. It unlocks everything, even the gate outside."_

_"__Good," Anders smiled. "So we know where to find that. But what about the others?"_

_Daisy spoke up this time, examining her nails for chips. "In Meredith's office there's a map hanging over her desk. I can draw a bit. Get me some paper and I'll copy it down."_

_"__The knife will be easy, too." Hawke stood up and turned the board back over so no one else would see their plan. "The kitchens. Or we can snatch one off a guard, but that'd be riskier."_

_"__And the fire," Anders prompted, nudging Hawke to get her attention. _

_"__Can't you do that, magic boy?" she rolled her eyes._

_"__I was thinking of making a bomb," Anders replied slowly, watching her reaction. "I need a rod of fire for that. The rod can be turned into an improvised explosive if I'm careful."_

_"__Then be careful," was her snarky reply. "But there is a sad lack of those things lying about."_

_"__No, there's not," Sanguine laughed and looked pointedly at Daisy. "The Viscounte is always smoking a pipe when he visits. He uses a rod of fire to light it."_

_Daisy affirmed his information. "He's my client and he's visiting tomorrow. That smelly pipe smoke never washes out of my hair." She dug her fingers into her scalp and shook her hair out. _

_Then that was everything, except for the "how". Hawke was the first to point that out. "All right, Blondie. We know where to get what we need. But __how__are we going to get all these sodding items?"_

_"__Distraction." Anders wiped the chalk off his hands. "I'll do what I did in the dance hall. Entrance them and the rest of you will go and grab the stuff."_

_Hawke, always confrontational, jumped up and got in his face. "__This__is your plan? You strut around, magicking everyone-" She wiggled her fingers to symbolize magic. "-while the rest of us run around and pick their pockets?"_

_"__If I'm able to concentrate they won't even notice that you're there. They'll be too focused on what I'm doing. You'll be safe," he added sincerely. As much as he wanted to escape, he also didn't want anyone hurt. Well, anyone except for Meredith and Ser Alrik._

_"__I'm __very__reassured."_

_"__Sister, please." _

_Anders would always be amazed how easily Hawke was manipulated by her sister. He knew right away that Hawke would have done anything for her sister, which was why she was so unimpressed by his plan. If she was in danger, that was fine, but if Sunshine was in danger...Maker help the poor sod who came between Hawke and her sister's safety. He wondered briefly if Hawke had been so protective of the rest of her family and he decided that she had to have been. _

_Hawke snapped him out of his private thoughts. "Hey, if we're doing this we only have a few days left until Ser Otto comes for you. We need to get started."_

_He couldn't agree more._

_Hawke and Anders had stayed up hours past the others, trying to perfect all the little details of the next days plan. Anders had everything vaguely in order, but Hawke had come up with more precise strategies. He saw right away that she was a waste as an escort; she was meant for some sort of command. It was such a same that so little Grey Wardens visited the brothel. They would have conscripted her right away if they only heard her speak for a minute. It was impossible to not see her tact and natural leadership. Anders, he was not a natural born leader, but this cause was his own and a just one. He could lead if that was what was demanded of him. _

_The dance hall was filled with the other escorts who had missed his first performance. Anders shut his eyes as Orsino gave him tips on how to further his skill, but he wasn't focusing on that. If all was well, Hawke was on her way to Meredith's office now, with Daisy tagging along behind her. Hawke would inform Meredith that Anders was working on a performance that would put the Viscounte in a spending mood. While Meredith left to observe the show, Daisy would slip inside and begin tracing the map to another sheet of paper. Hawke would keep watch outside for Meredith's return. If all was well, that's what would happen. Of course, Anders scowled. It could all go horribly wrong. Meredith could refuse to even come..._

_"__I heard Blondie had something to show me."_

_Oh, yes, he __did__. _

_He was standing in a muddy trench this time, with explosions going off all around him. He wasn't alone either. Soldiers sat in the dirt, waiting for the enemy to cease firing so they could get off some shots. Morale was low, if Anders could tell anything from the hopeless faces of the boys and men surrounding him. Anders forgot about them quickly when Hawke appeared before him, pulling her black low hood off of her face. "We've got new orders. Come on." She led him down the trenches until they turned a corner and met up with Sunshine, Daisy, Sanguine, and the dwarf from the chapel. _

_The gunfire continued while the dwarf walked down from a large pile of rubble. He was dressed differently than the last time Anders had seen him. His coat was army green, the same as the uniforms as the other soldiers, except the dwarf had managed to keep his dirt and blood free. "Here's what's what. The Tevinters are preparing a report for their Magister. It's a map."_

_Hawke gave the dwarf a wry smile. "And how are we going to get it? I doubt the Tevinters will care how prettily we can bat our eye lashes."_

_"__You're going to cross no man's land, obviously. Steal the map from the enemy's bunker and get back over to our side."_

_"__Oh, __fun__," Sunshine said irritably. _

_"__Oh, and I have something special for Daisy. She'll get you out of there once you have the map." He started leading towards the end of the trench that was under the heaviest fire. _

_"__This is worse than the Deep Roads," Anders muttered, thinking no one could hear him until Hawke gave him a shove._

_"__There's a story behind that statement, I know it." She was wielding an assault rifle like a natural. Hawke reached behind her back to make sure the claymore across her back was strapped correctly. When her hand went to her canteen to make sure that was attached correctly as well, she noticed one of the soldiers was spitting out a mouthful of blood. Instantly the elf was handed her canteen to rinse out his mouth with. When he tried to give it back to her Hawke refused, taking the time instead to examine his unique appearance. Another burst of heave fire from the Tevinters sent her moving again. _

_"__For you, Daisy. As I promised," the dwarf smirked, stepping out of the way of a team of armored halla and the heavy duty chariot they were pulling. "Take out as many of the bastards as you can and then find Blondie and the others. Blondie, radio in when you have the map."_

_Anders was tossed a strange brick-like device while Daisy hopped into the halla's chariot and grabbed the reins. As Daisy steered the Halla out of the trenches and onto the battlefield, the dwarf crawled onto a ladder leading out of the trenches. "Ah, I forgot to mention that your mission won't be as easy as it seems."_

_"__No one thought it was easy. Just you."_

_The dwarf continued on. "Tevinter Magisters have figured out how to bring their fallen back to the front lines. They're using blood magic and necromancy to keep them moving. So, don't feel bad about killing them." A few shots of the dwarf's crossbow brought down two of the Tevinter soldiers that were causing the most trouble. "They're already dead. Remember ladies, if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything." _

_"__Not a lady," Sanguine argued and was largely ignored._

_The dwarf jumped down from the ladder, allowing them to climb up it instead. "Oh, and one last thing...__try and work together__." _

_The Tevinters were leaving their precious trenches to meet them head on. Anders stuck to his pistol until the enemy got close. He noticed Hawke was growing very attached to that rifle of hers. She was more focused on protecting them all, rather than attacking. Anyone got close to Sunshine or Anders, and Hawke shot them down without any hesitation. _

_Daisy flew by on her chariot, her halla trampling any who got in their way. As for the elf herself, she had one hand on the reigns and the other on a sub-machine gun. She provided the rest with enough cover to drop into the enemy's trench unnoticed. _

_"__I'll take lead," Sunshine offered and Hawke automatically took the rear. It was easier to cover everyone from behind. _

_Anders kept look out for the Magister's command center. It would be one of the small rooms carved out of the dirt and could be easily missed. _

_"__Sunshine! You're getting too far ahead!" Hawke's shout came a little too late as the enemy dropped down from both sides, cutting off Sunshine from Anders and the others. She had no choice but to continue on, trying to keep the Tevinters at bay with her sawed-off shotgun._

_Anders cursed at the mess. Sanguine was cutting down men with his trench knife left and right, but Hawke had abandoned the original plan and was focused solely on getting back to her sister._

_Oh, sod it all. Anders broke off from the group as well and ran, kicking down any door he encountered. He was turning a corner when he saw the woman. She was wearing the same robes any lower level Magister would wear and she had a container designed for maps slung across her back. When she saw Anders she shot at him and ran away, he presumed back to command. Perfect._

_Hawke saw Anders chasing after a female soldier and took her anger out on the Tevinter closest to her. She slammed the butt of her rifle into his skull until he died again. Anders was leaving them behind. Such loyalty. Well, perhaps it was better if he went on ahead. She and Sanguine weren't getting anywhere. "Back up. Call for it," she ordered Sanguine, pointing to the radio he had been given. "See if we can't get some of our trench boys over here to save our asses."_

_Another swarm of the enemy came and she forgot about Anders and continued fighting her way to Sunshine._

_"__Hadriana, do you have the map?" Anders heard someone say inside of the room the woman he'd been following had just vanished inside. Not wanting to give her time to answer, Anders sprinted in after her, guns blazing. Because Hadriana didn't have time enough to warn them of her tail, he took them all by surprise. Only Hadriana and her superior were left standing when he ran out of ammo and Anders quickly took care of the former. Using his staff he knocked Hadriana out and took the map, slinging it over his own shoulder now. Her superior was not pleased._

_"__Give it to me__," he spat, flinging a knife at Anders who knocked it deftly aside._

_That wasn't happening. It was Anders turn to run now, ducking and dodging bullets. He hit a dead end, swore, and turned back around to find Hadriana standing before him. Her forehead was dripping with blood from the head wound he had given her just minutes before. "The map," she demanded, gritting her teeth in pain as she spoke._

_Anders looked for a way out. He was out of bullets, but from the confident way Hadriana was holding her gun he doubted she was empty, too. It wasn't until he heard the sound of a small halla stampede that he knew what to do._

_Tossing the map into the empty air behind him, Anders waited for Hadriana to fire. She watched the map fly away from her, dumbstruck until Daisy drove by with her chariot and caught the map with nimble fingers. Hadriana jumped into action, shooting at Daisy as she and her chariot drove off. The map was safe, but Anders was not. He stared down Hadriana's barrel, waiting for her to finally end it. _

_She never got the chance. The trench behind her filled with soldiers, not a one of them Tevinter. The elf Hawke had helped before shoved his bayonet through Hadriana's torso and flung her corpse to the ground. He spat off to the side and rejoined his platoon. _

_"__Hey." Anders felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Hawke standing a top of the trench. She smiled down at him, reaching down to help pull him out. "We got it."_

_As soon as Anders had finished, Meredith took Orsino aside into his own office. "He's ready. For a private session for with the Viscounte. Nothing too physical. I just want him to make the Viscounte and his men feel good. Get them in the mood to spend some money."_

_Orsino shook his head, laughing. "I understand your eagerness, Meredith, but I have to advise against it. Blondie isn't ready for that level of-"_

_"__Not ready?" she scowled. "All he has to do is what he did right there. He's perfect."_

_"__Perhaps, but..." He paused, uncertain. "But that's not for you to decide. That's for me to decide. It's my show, after all."_

_Meredith spread her hands. "Yes, but here's the thing, Orsino." Meredith gabbed a hold of Orsino's collar. "This show may be yours, but __you__..are __mine__. You. The whores. All mine. Right? Or do you need a __reminder__of that?"_

_"__...No, Meredith. I don't."_

_"__Then you make __sure__he's ready." Meredith dropped him and walked out. She passed Daisy and Hawke in the hallway, but thought nothing of it until she reached her office. Something...didn't feel right. If she was asked to explain it she would have drawn a blank, but something was off. And she was going to find out __exactly__what it was that was wrong._


	5. Chapter 5: Fire

_**Dragon Punch **_

_**Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Anders/F!Hawke**_

_**Summary: **__While in the hands of the Kirkwall Circle, Anders creates his own world where he has five days to escape life as a brothel whore before Ser Otto and his guards have him executed for murder. He enlists the help of the others that are trapped there as well; Hawke, Sunshine, Daisy, and Sanguine (Jowan) agree to join Anders in his escape._

_I own nothing. This resulted from a text post by doubleddemi and further discussion about the idea of a Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover with doubleddemi and lilou88._

_Original idea by doubleddemi. All credit goes to her._

_**Cast:**_

_**Baby Doll:**__Anders __(Blondie)__**Sweet Pea:**__Marian Hawke_

_**Rockett:**__Bethany Hawke __(Sunshine)__**Blondie:**__Merrill __(Daisy)_

_**Amber:**__Jowan __(Sanguine)__**Doctor/Madame Gorski:**__First Enchanter Orsino_

_**Blue:**__Meredith __**The Cook: **__Ser Alrik_

_**The Mayor:**__Viscounte Dumar __**The High Roller/The Lobotomist: **__Ser Otto_

_**The Wiseman: **__Varric __**Other Characters:**__Cullen, Aedan Cousland, TBD_

_"__Daisy, __relax__," Hawke soothed the elf, rubbing her shoulders like she was a prized fighter about to enter the Proving arena. "You can do this."_

_"__But do I have to do it __alone__? What if the Viscounte catches me? What if-"_

_"__He won't even notice. He __adores__you. He even picked you flowers from his own garden." Sunshine was slightly better than her sister at comforting Daisy. "It'll be all right. We're all behind you."_

_Anders decided it was time for him to step in. "Daisy, we can do this. A few more items and we'll be free. A little fear is normal, but we need you right now."_

_Daisy blinked uncertainly. "Well, he keeps the rod of fire in a pocket inside his robe. Here." She indicated the area on her own chest. _

_"__Then that's easy," Sanguine laughed, though it was obviously forced. "Just kiss the neck, reach in, and __take__it. As long as you don't bite, like __Hawke__-"_

_"__Hey!"_

_"__-he won't even notice," he finished._

_Daisy gave them all a small nod. Though she was frightened these were her friends, her family, her __people__. She realized she'd sacrifice anything to save them. "Okay."_

_Swallowing her fear, Daisy waited for the Viscounte to come to her. She stood tall, hands on her hips until he and his entourage showed. Viscounte Dumar allowed Meredith to take his outer robe and to reluctantly kiss him on both cheeks in the Orlesian fashion. Meredith then led him to the front of the brothel's stage and he sat down in the large, plush chair that had been provided for him. Daisy quickly took her place in his lap, watching closely for him to bring out the rod of fire. _

_When Orsino came out to introduce Anders the viscounte was smoking and slipping the rod back into his breast pocket. "We have a new escort for you, milord. Who's very skilled, though a bit raw. That is, however, part of the charm." Orsino straightened out his collar and stepped aside. "It is my genuine pleasure to introduce...our one and only __Blondie__."_

_An incredible wind forced Anders to open his eyes. Instead of seeing the too bright stage lights of the brothel he was greeted with open sky on all sides. It had been far too long since he had seen the sun. He grimaced into wind and glanced down, suddenly realizing where he was. "Oh, Andraste help me." _

_The five of them were on the back of a griffon and were preparing to go into a dive. Anders dug his hands into the griffon's feathers, ignoring the animal's sharp cries on protest. Hawke was behind him and she let go of the griffon long enough to give him a reassuring squeeze. "Don't scream," she warned. "You might swallow a pigeon."_

_Anders was too afraid to reply to that. He shut his eyes until Daisy, who had the reins, landed them neatly on top of a stone tower. Anders quickly climbed off the griffon, jumping when it snapped its beak at him, and looked over the edge. Below them were the remains of a castle that's size honestly put Vigil's Keep to shame. And inside the castle, everywhere, were-_

_"__Darkspawn__," Hawke spat, completing his own thoughts. Her blue eyes gazed down at the horde with a hatred he had never seen from her before. He had not thought she was capable of such malice, seeing as she was usually all smiles and jokes and terrible puns. _

_Before Anders could question her, though, he was interrupted by the smooth voice of the dwarf. Evidently he had been waiting for them on the tower for some time. "It's about damn time you all showed up," he said while polishing his crossbow. "This is how it's gonna go, so listen up."_

_"__Lay it out for us, dwarf," Sanguine pleaded. He was obviously uncomfortable being on top of the tower. _

_"__Daisy will be flying the bird, Sanguine you'll be riding with her, providing fire power. As for the rest of you, drop into the courtyard and kill any Darkspawn in your way."_

_"__I was going to do that anyway," Hawke mumbled, her eyes a light with a sort of bloodlust._

_"__What's the plan once we're down there?" Anders tried to stay on task. _

_"__There's a dragon and her young in that castle and you need to find the nest. Now, when you reach the Dragon's nest you'll find the baby." The dwarf paused long enough to frown. "You'll have to slit its throat." Sunshine made a sort of horrified gasp, but the dwarf kept going. "Inside of its throat are two crystals that when struck together will produce the most magnificent fire you've ever seen. Daisy, you'll have to get them close enough for a drop-off, okay?"_

_"__Oh, we're going __back__on the griffon?" Anders complained, but he complied regardless. _

_Once they were all settled, the dwarf gave them some final advice. "Remember, don't ever write a check with your mouth you can't cash with your ass." Hawke made an unladylike snort. "Oh, and one more thing...Don't wake the __mother__."_

_Sunshine and Hawke gave each other curious looks before Daisy gently kneed the griffon's sides and the creature took off into the air. She flew them close enough to the courtyard that they could jump down without risking serious injury. _

_Unfortunately they had to drop right in the middle of the courtyard, in the midst of the darkspawn. "Get down!" Hawke grabbed a hold of her sister's and Anders's arms and threw them to the courtyard floor. She fired her rifle in a full circle. Anders ducked further down, wincing because he could almost feel the bullets whizzing over his head. "I'm reloading. Cover me!"_

_Sunshine and Anders sprung back up, taking over for Hawke as she jammed another clip into her gun. Sunshine took lead, blasting back genlocks with her sawed-off while Anders took care of any hurlocks that came their way. Just when Anders was sure they were going to be overwhelmed, he saw the main gate to the courtyard burst open from outside. He quickly recognized the blue and silver armor of the Wardens. It was a relief until Anders caught sight of the tall, lean form of the Warden Commander, Aedan Cousland. _

_Anders heard Sunshine ask, breathlessly, "Are those __Grey Wardens__?"_

_Anders's former commanding officer pounded his sword against the Cousland shield he bore and ordered them to charge. While they were taking care of the bulk of the hoard, Anders motioned for them to move forward and enter the main tower of the keep. The dragon's nest awaited them. The Wardens could take care of the rest._

_The tower's staircase seemed endless, winding up in a spiral and digging up old memories of Anders's that he didn't need to relive. _

_"__We're at the top. Who wants to get us in?" Sunshine stopped in front of heavy wooden door._

_"__Oh, __allow me.__" __Hawke stepped forward gladly. She nodded at Anders to prepare himself. "You ready, Blondie?" At his curt nod she kicked in the door and led them out into a balcony. The dragon's nest lay a few feet before them. Hawke's nose crinkled. "Maker, that smells foul."_

_Sunshine walked around the dragon nest and peered down the side of the balcony. "There's a lot of nothing over here. Just a deep, dark pit. I can't see the bottom."_

_"__Creepy. Let's finish this quick, then. Blondie, go on. Dig around in the dragon's insides."_

_"__Oh, __thank you__, Hawke." Anders accepted a knife from Hawke and approached the nest carefully. A dragon babe was sleeping inside, his tail curled around him innocently. Anders couldn't help but feel a slight pang of guilt._

_"__I'll help you," Sunshine offered, walking back over. She stepped into the nest and wrapped her arms around the dragon's neck. Anders sprung forward and sliced open its throat, trying to ignore the high pitched scream it made as it died. Sunshine continued to hold the dragon for Anders while he reached inside the torn flesh and pulled out two red, glowing crystals. "Got you."_

_Hawke had taken her sister's place at the balcony's edge. "Right. Now, I'd __hate__to alarm anyone..."_

_"__No, you wouldn't," Sunshine laughed softly._

_"__But I can see something moving down there. The dwarf __did__mention the mother, didn't he?"_

_Stuffing the stones into his pack, Anders headed for the only exit. "Then let's get going."_

_There was no argument from Bethany; she followed his lead right away. Hawke lingered a bit until flames shot out from the depths ff the pit, nearly singeing her hooded cloak. "Right behind you," she shouted. "As is the __dragon's mother__, though, so keep that in mind."_

_Anders took the tower stairs down three at a time, with Sunshine close on his heels. He heard Hawke's gun go off and ran faster. Hawke was something else but no one should have to face a dragon alone._

_The dragon could not follow them into the narrow staircase, but it was waiting for them when they reentered the courtyard. The Wardens were holding it off, but they were retreating out of the courtyard and into the outer areas of the keep where the majority of the darkspawn had moved to. The dragon allowed them to leave, turning back to face the murderers of its only child._

_"__Andraste's flaming __knickerweasels__."_

_"__What's the plan now, Blondie?" Hawke asked, chuckling at his most recent outburst. "If we don't do something __our__knickerweasels will be flaming." Anders gave her a pained look and her smile subsided. "Bullets aren't doing much. We'll be doing this the old fashioned way." Hawke unstrapped her claymore and stretched her legs out. "You two stand back and cover me."_

_"__Sister," Bethany began, but she gave up arguing and gave Hawke a curt nod. _

_"__Let's hope Daisy and Sanguine can provide some air support," Anders thought aloud. _

_"__They had better." _

_Hawke charged the dragon, slicing and dodging the dragon's attacks. Twice the dragon almost had her, but Anders and Sunshine provided enough fire to keep the dragon distracted. Hawke was doing well, but when the dragon whipped its tail at her and sent her flying against one of the castle walls Anders knew he needed to step in. He ran towards the dragon, turned to evade the dragon's teeth lunging for him, and proceeded to take his bladed staff and pierce the dragon's left eye. She didn't like that. Anders braced himself. The dragon growled and smoke trailed from its nostrils. She was preparing to breathe flame and Anders was right in the line of fire. _

_"__Oh, __damn__." Anders quickly stepped backwards, nearly tripping over his own robes. The dragon drew a sharp intake of breath and prepared to roast him alive for slaying her child. The dragon never got the chance. Hawke had picked herself up and jumped on the dragon's back, burying her sword into its skull. Hawke's claymore ran through the dragon's brain and with a little twist ended the lizard's life. Hawke didn't step down from the dragon so much as fall down it. Anders was there to catch her, though, one hand supporting her back and the other wound around her waist. When she claimed she was fine he drew away, the hand that had been on her waist suddenly covered in blood. "Oh, Hawke. __No__."_

_Sunshine ran over, hearing Anders broken whisper. "What? __What__?"_

_Her sister shushed her. "It's okay, Sunshine. Dragon just got a taste of me, that's all. Don't worry about it. Try signaling Daisy for pick up."_

_Anders waved her off. "Go on. I'll handle this."_

_"__How?" Hawke laughed weakly, using humor as a shield as usual. "Unless you've located the kidney I'm sure I'm missing I don't how you're going to help...__Oh__." Her jests subsided as the pain in her side slowly left her. She watched Anders fingers push back her torn clothing so she could see her flesh knitting back together. "That's...something," she finished, glancing away. Sunshine was waving Daisy down for a landing. "Ah, our ride is here. But thanks."_

_"__Anytime." _

_Anders knew he was back in the brothel now; it was light stinging his eyes instead of wind. The Viscounte and his men had been stunned into silence. Only Meredith was applauding and she was staring at Anders with an intensity he didn't care for. Before he could think on it some more, Sanguine appeared from backstage and led him away. The others were waiting in the dressing room for his and Daisy's return. Sunshine flew over to him. "Did she get it?"_

_"__I didn't see," Anders admitted. _

_"__Well, you were performing. That explains why you missed it and why I was able to get __this__." Daisy had entered the room, twirling the rod of fire in her hands until it gave off a tiny spark. "Oooh. Look at that."_

_"__Thatta girl," Hawke grinned, relief showing in her eyes. _

_"__It was like I wasn't even there!" Daisy was positively giddy now that the whole ordeal was over. Anders gave her a smile and took the rod of fire from her hands, stashing it away with the map. Hawke stood over him for a moment, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Two more items and we'll be free," she reminded him. Anders gazed at her hand in shock until, flushing, Hawke quickly pulled away. _

_"__Good job, Daisy. You were perfect." Sanguine passed around a skin of red wine in celebration. "Let's have a toast!"_

_Sunshine joined in the reverie. "Yes! A toast to celebrate-"_

_"__Celebrate __what__?" Meredith had somehow managed to catch them off guard and was leaning in the doorway, evidently listening in to their conversation. _

_Hawke attempted to cover up everyone's gasp with bullshit. "We're celebrating Anders's first performance." She sidled up to the older woman, trying still to ease the tension. "You know how scary that can be."_

_"__Yes. Right." Meredith was smiling, a fact that was terrifying to any who knew her. "This is just...the sisterhood of the theater. You're bonding. I get it."_

_Sunshine was avoiding Meredith's gaze but Anders met it directly. This had been his plan, after all. One of them had to act as if they had nothing to hide. Meredith stopped scrutinizing them all long enough to continue her conversation with Hawke. "So, this celebration has all to do with Anders's performance and __nothing__to do with the Viscounte's missing item?" _

_Anders could have kicked them all for how guilty they looked. Meredith kept going, her guards appearing at her side. "I don't know how I'm supposed to trust your word. There have been too many reports of things going missing, of whispered __plans__behind closed doors." She went to Sunshine then and grabbed her gently by the throat. Anders saw Hawke tense up, ready to defend her sister to the death. Sanguine held her back, muttering to her until Hawke reluctantly relaxed. Meredith smirked and released the girl. "Now I hope you understand that these rumors of-of __rebellion__need to __stop__. I will end them one way or another. You can choose to stop this or I can. It pains me that I have to resort to __threats__, ladies." She followed her guards out. "I thought we were past this."_

_The group was silent for a long while after Meredith's departure. Hawke finally stopped clenching her fists and sank down onto a cushion. "Well, that's it," she sighed, hugging her knees to her chest. "We're done."_

_"__What?" Sunshine was surprisingly the first to protest. Anders watched on silently. "We can't give up just yet-"_

_"__You heard Meredith. We have to end this while we still can." Hawke shot her sister a stern look from the floor. "You promised me that if this got too dangerous that you'd stop. So...stop."_

_Not thinking, Anders tried to step in. "Hawke, we're so close-"_

_"__Don't you dare," she spat, cutting him off before he could finish. "You're dead anyway; you don't have anything on the line. You're letting us take all the risk for you and it's done. You're on your own."_

_"__I always let you take all the risk for me," Sunshine reminded her not so gently. "And I think it's time that changed. I'm going through with the plan...with or without you."_

_Anders whispered his thanks and looked to Hawke. She was seething, angrier than he had even seen her and then she was sadder than he had ever seen her. "You're taking __his__side? Choosing him over me?" Hawke stood up suddenly. "I have __always__chosen you. But I can't be a part of this. It's going to __kill__you, Sunshine."_

_"__Staying here any longer will do the same, Sister."_

_Anders tried to shrug off Hawke's betrayed glare. When she had left Sanguine chuckled nervously and asked, "What's next?"_

_"__We need a blade."_


	6. Chapter 6: Kitchen Knife

_**Dragon Punch **_

_**Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover**_

_**Chapter 6: Kitchen Knife**_

_**Anders/F!Hawke**_

_**Summary: **__While in the hands of the Kirkwall Circle, Anders creates his own world where he has five days to escape life as a brothel whore before Ser Otto and his guards have him executed for murder. He enlists the help of the others that are trapped there as well; Hawke, Sunshine, Daisy, and Sanguine (Jowan) agree to join Anders in his escape._

_I own nothing. This resulted from a text post by doubleddemi and further discussion about the idea of a Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover with doubleddemi and lilou88. Original idea by doubleddemi. All credit goes to her._

_**Cast:**_

_**Baby Doll:**__Anders __(Blondie)__**Sweet Pea:**__Marian Hawke_

_**Rockett:**__Bethany Hawke __(Sunshine)__**Blondie:**__Merrill __(Daisy)_

_**Amber:**__Jowan __(Sanguine)__**Doctor/Madame Gorski:**__First Enchanter Orsino_

_**Blue:**__Meredith __**The Cook: **__Ser Alrik_

_**The Mayor:**__Viscounte Dumar __**The High Roller/The Lobotomist: **__Ser Otto_

_**The Wiseman: **__Varric __**Other Characters:**__Cullen, TBD_

_Sanguine hadn't shown it then, but Meredith's threats hadn't only frightened Hawke. He knew how dangerous Meredith's type was. She wouldn't hesitate to punish them if she even __suspected__that they were continuing on with Blondie's plan. _

_Worry was eating at him, like always. But this time it was unbearable. He couldn't sleep. Instead of wasting time lying in bed, Sanguine went to the practice hall early. It was empty and familiar. Fear overcoming him for a minute, he tugged at his chin length, dark hair and slid to the floor. No one else was present so he allowed himself this moment of weakness. He jerked away when he heard Orsino's reassuring voice. "What's wrong?"_

_"__Nothing." Sanguine didn't trust authority figures to do what was best for him. It had been his own parents that had sold him to Meredith in the first place._

_Orsino tried again, crouching down next to the man. "It's okay. You can tell me. I'm a good listener."_

_"__As am I."_

_Sanguine's eyes widened as Meredith stepped into view. Whether he wanted to talk or not, he knew she would pry the truth from him. He only prayed to Andraste that he could last long enough for Blondie and the others to get the next item._

_Sunshine, Daisy, and Blondie were working in the kitchens under Alrik's watchful eye. They were waiting on Sanguine to show, but that was looking less likely to happen as the minutes passed. They didn't have enough time for this. _

_Sunshine's patience had finally worn out. "Where in the Maker's name __is__he?"_

_Anders peeled his potatoes with a vengeance. "Forget it." He was remembering Hawke's expression after Sunshine refused to give up on the plan. She had felt betrayed and scared for her sister. And Anders knew she was right to worry. "I don't want to get any of you hurt. Or worse. We came this far..." The next part physically hurt to say. "Not many could do the same."_

_Sunshine put her peeling knife down and placed both of her hands on the table. While she was looking down at her hands, thinking, the kitchen door slammed open. Alrik snapped at Hawke for making so much noise as she strode in. _

_"__Don't you two have some work you should be doing?" she asked, tying her apron on._

_Sunshine sighed in relief. "You came to help us."_

_"__No." Hawke was stubborn about that. "I'm here to make sure you don't get killed. Like I always do. Like I always will."_

_"__Thank you," Anders said quietly, not able to meet her eyes because of the guilt he was feeling at the moment. _

_Hawke's eyes flashed. "This had better work, Blondie." Hawke nodded to Daisy and went to bar the door. She shoved a chair underneath the doorknob and walked back to the others. Daisy backed up towards the door, accidentally bumping one of the metal buckets of potatoes so that it was teetering on the edge of the table._

_Alrik stopped stuffing his own face and advanced on Hawke, who was seemingly making the most trouble. "What do you think you're doing, you painted whore?"_

_Before Hawke could respond, Sunshine placed her hands on Alrik's shoulders and pushed him down into the chair Blondie had provided for him. "Sit," Sunshine ordered, waiting until Blondie got into position. "You're going to want to watch this."_

_Anders felt a cool breeze on his face. It was nice until he realized the breeze was bringing a rank odor along with it. His long nose crinkled up and he covered it with his sleeve. "That smell...I know it."_

_"__More darkspawn," Sunshine said unhappily, appearing at his side. She pointed to a huge, gaping hole in the earth where the unholy stench was coming from. Anders inched towards the edge and looked down it, making out some minor details of a dwarven made cavern. "Why does it have to be the __Deep Roads__? Of all Maker damned places..." He cursed and wiped away the nervous sheen of sweat forming on his brow. _

_There were no reassuring words from Hawke. She stood off to the side, alone, and brooding. She snapped to attention only when the dwarf came onto the scene. "Ladies," he greeted them, making note of their absent member and deciding to ignore it. "Here's what's on our agenda tonight. There's a shitload of Qunari explosives down that hole, guarded by a legion of Darkspawn. But wait, it gets better." Of __course__it did. "One of the Emissary's has attached a ten-foot wick to the bomb. It's alight right now and if it goes off, the Darkspawn will have made a tunnel straight to Orzammar. They'll enter unnoticed and wreak havoc on the population. You four can't let that happen." _

_"__How long do we have?" Daisy asked and followed it up with another question. "And how do we get down there?"_

_"__Not long. And Blondie, Sunshine, and Hawke will be lowered down the hole with ropes. Tethers." He turned to the aforementioned party members. "You get down there, put out that wick, and retrieve the explosives for our own use. That Emissary used magic to light the wick; that fire can only be put out with this." The dwarf handed Blondie a vial of water that looked like it had been mixed with a bit of lyrium. The ideas simple. Kill any darkspawn in your way, disarm the bomb, and then steal it. Daisy will stay up top and watch the ropes." Hawke tied on her sister's rope, checking the knots three times to make sure they would hold. The dwarf approached her, saying gently, "Hawke, I'm glad you changed your mind."_

_She could only stare at him and emptily nod. The dwarf held out his hands and stepped away. Hawke, Blondie, and Sunshine were preparing to be lowered down. "Well, there you have it. You know, for those who fight for it, life has a flavor the sheltered will never know." He paused, adding, "Oh, yeah. One last thing. That bomb will detonate in eight minutes. So if I were you, I'd hurry."_

_Hawke and Blondie jumped down first, repelling down. Sunshine followed a second later. Daisy stayed on the surface, peering down at the three of them until she lost them to the darkness. _

_The three of them had dropped into the darkspawn's midst. But they landed on their feet and were firing off shots left and right. Anders lost count of how many hurlocks he had sliced in half, swinging his bladed staff around. When one of the beasts got lucky and sent him flying against one of the cavern's walls, Hawke was there to take it out. _

_"__I see the explosives!" Sunshine shouted over all the noise. Anders tossed her the vial and watched as she poured it over the flaming wick that had been so close to setting off the bomb. "It's out!" She called up to Daisy as Hawke and Anders finished off the rest. "Throw down the ropes for the bomb!" _

_Hawke walked around, making sure each darkspawn was truly dead and if they weren't they received a bullet to the brain. She saw the emissary too late; it had only been half dead. It raised a gnarled hand and sent a wave of flame Sunsine's and the bombs direction. The ropes Daisy had thrown down were destroyed, as was Sunshine's own tether to the surface. Anders pulled out his pistol and took care of the emissary, but the damage was already done. The bomb's wick was lit again and now the only tethers that weren't singed to ash were Hawke's and Anders's. _

_The metal bucket that had been on the edge of the table had finally fallen, crashing to the floor and disrupting Anders's concentration. The enchantment faded away, leaving them defenseless. Alrik's eyes blinked twice, like he was waking up from a short nap. It was then that he saw Hawke's hand on his belt, pulling out one of his knives from it's sheath. _

_"__You bitch!" Alrik shoved Sunshine violently to the floor. Springing to his feet, Alrik kicked Hawke in the chest, sending her backwards hard. The knife fell from her hand, skittering across the floor and landing at Daisy's feet. She froze, staring down at it. _

_Alrik grabbed another one of his knives and advanced on Hawke. Anders turned away, shutting his eyes tight and resuming his enchantment._

_"__Maker," Anders whispered, staring at the bomb. "Daisy, pull us up! __Now__!"_

_Panicked, Daisy complied, starting with Anders. Hawke ran over to her sister. "Your tether."_

_Sunshine shook her head. "You have to leave me behind."_

_"__No__. My rope will hold us both."_

_Maybe it could have, but when Sunshine looked up she saw that Hawke's rope was fraying. They'd be lucky if it could hold __one__of them. "It won't hold us both."_

_"__We have to __try,__" __Hawke shouted, shaking her. "Promise me you'll try!"_

_"__Okay, okay," Sunshine soothed her quickly. "We'll try. But you have to promise me two things."_

_"__There's no time!" Hawke grabbed the few feet of Sunshine's rope that hadn't burned away and tied it to the loop around her waist. "Sunshine, let's __go__."_

_Sunshine ignored her. Anders had already been pulled up and soon he and Daisy would be tugging on Hawke's tether. "The first thing is...don't get mad about this."_

_"__Mad about what?__"_

_In one smooth movement Sunshine pulled out a dagger and cut the rope tying the two sisters together. Daisy and Anders yanked on Hawke's tether at the same time, not being able to see what had just occurred down below. Hawke was jerked off her feet, her hand outstretched to her sister. "Sunshine! No!" She was screaming, but Sunshine only looked up at her sadly as she was pulled further and further away. _

_Anders tugged back to the surface, his eyes widening in confusion when he saw she was alone. "What? Where's-"_

_The explosives had finally been triggered, blasting a hole through to Orzammar and sending up ash and debris up at Hawke and Anders. The two rolled away from edge, covering the back of their heads with their arms. Anders heard Hawke's broken cry as the cavern began to collapse in on itself. _

_Hawke was shoved to the side, though not by Alrik, who she had been expecting it from. No, this time it was Sunshine shoving her away. Alrik's knife had been aimed at Hawke's heart, but he hadn't anticipated Sunshine diving into the way. His knife sunk into her stomach before he quickly tore it back out. _

_Hawke stared at her sister and caught her as Sunshine fell slowly to the floor. "Bethany?" Hawke breathed, her voice hard and cracked. _

_Sunshine looked up at her, trying to keep breathing long, slow breaths. "And the second thing is...When you get home, when you get free..." She had to pause to gather more strength. "You tell Mother that I love her." _

_Normally Hawke would have retorted that Sunshine could tell her herself, but she was bleeding too fast and too much for there to be any time for hopeful jokes. "I will. I swear to the Maker."_

_When Sunshine's breaths stopped coming, Hawke's angry screams brought in the guards. _

_Cullen kicked down the door, breaking the chair that had been barring it shut. He was silent while he assessed the situation, too stunned to speak. He saw Daisy's tiny shoulders heave as she sobbed, her arms crossed behind her back. The new one, the blonde, was standing off to the side. His eyes were sad and shocked, but he was silent. Bethany made no sound as well and it didn't take Cullen long to see why. He rounded on Alrik. "__What in the Maker's name did you do?__"_

_His shout brought Meredith and her entourage running. Meredith took in the scene instantaneously. She grabbed Alrik and threw him down. "You simple minded __idiot__!" Meredith wiped her hands off on the cloth parts of her armor. Hawke's screams had finally caught her attention. "Yes, look at it!" She took Hawke's arm and pointed violently down at Sunshine. "Look at what you did! I want you to look at it and __remember__."_

_Hawke swung at her, a hit that Meredith easily ducked. The guards began dragging her out, being careful to avoid her kicks. Meredith shouted after them. "Lock her up in the Quiet Room. __She needs to think about what she's done__!" She rounded on Anders next. "Are you proud of this?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Go. Help the other girls get ready. Ser Otto will be here soon and we'll be rid of your little __rebellion__. Cullen, take care of the body. It seems I need to have a little talk with my girls."_

_Anders was shoved out the door, but before he was out he noticed that the knife Hawke had snatched was no longer on the floor. His eyes flicked over to Daisy before the guards forced him to break eye contact._

_They were putting on a big show tonight and Orsino was running around the dressing room frantically. A few words from one of Meredith's men stopped him in his tracks. "Sunshine? She's..."_

_"__Dead," the guard repeated dully. Sanguine heard what had happened and sank into a chair, hiding his face from the rest of them._

_Daisy went to him, fidgeting with one of the dresser drawers. The one where the map and rod of fire were stashed. "It's all right." Daisy sat down dejectedly next to him._

_Anders was going through his options and there were not many. Ser Otto was coming, if he wasn't already in the building. And they still didn't have the key. Not that it would have done them any good. Meredith knew what they had been up to and the key in question was still hanging from the chain around her neck. _

_Meredith came into the room, the key bouncing off her chest as she marched right up to Orsino. "It occurs to me that I need to have a talk with all of you." Her cold eyes found Anders and stayed there, glaring. "And I have to warn you...it's not going to be a pleasant one."_


	7. Chapter 7: Tranquility

_**Dragon Punch **_

_**Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover**_

_**Chapter 7: Tranquil**_

_**Anders/F!Hawke**_

_**Summary: **__While in the hands of the Kirkwall Circle, Anders creates his own world where he has five days to escape life as a brothel whore before Ser Otto and his guards have him executed for murder. He enlists the help of the others that are trapped there as well; Hawke, Sunshine, Daisy, and Sanguine (Jowan) agree to join Anders in his escape._

_I own nothing. This resulted from a text post by doubleddemi and further discussion about the idea of a Dragon Age/Sucker Punch Crossover with doubleddemi and lilou88. Original idea by doubleddemi. All credit goes to her._

_**Cast:**_

_**Baby Doll:**__Anders __(Blondie)__**Sweet Pea:**__Marian Hawke_

_**Rockett:**__Bethany Hawke __(Sunshine)__**Blondie:**__Merrill __(Daisy)_

_**Amber:**__Jowan __(Sanguine)__**Doctor/Madame Gorski:**__First Enchanter Orsino_

_**Blue:**__Meredith __**The Cook: **__Ser Alrik_

_**The Mayor:**__Viscounte Dumar __**The High Roller/The Lobotomist: **__Ser Otto_

_**The Wiseman: **__Varric __**Other Characters:**__Cullen, Isabela, Fenris, Sebastian_

_Meredith gestured for all of the escorts to form a circle, with herself at the center. "I want to say a few words." When Orsino stopped dressing Daisy she waved at him to continue. "It's all right. You can finish getting her dressed. Very nice." Meredith waited until it was dead silent; it wasn't a long wait. "I try to give you all a good life. As good as a life as you deserve. But," she stressed, pacing. "It has come to my attention that a few of you, led by one whore inparticular...have been plotting against me." Anders couldn't shake off the stares of the others. _

_Orsino stepped forward, shakily asking, "Meredith, what are you doing?"_

_"__You're plotting against me?" Meredith shouted over him. "Me? Your employer? Your __protector__?" She grabbed one of her guardsmen swords and waved it around purposely. "How long would you last outside these walls? They, the people out there, would recognize what you are in an instant. And they would tear you apart."_

_Orsino grabbed her arm, a very dangerous move. "Meredith, you've won. This little fantasy of freedom is over with. It's all they have." _

_Meredith's blade found it's way underneath his throat. "Don't act as if you don't know what goes on here. You're their teacher—"_

_"__I teach them to survive __you.__" __Orsino spat out the words with venom and Meredith's blade drew a thin line of blood along his throat. Sanguine suddenly screamed._

_"__No! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say anything!" Sanguine avoided the eyes of his friends. "She said it was the only way that we'd be safe. That we'd be forgiven."_

_"__Yes!" Meredith agreed, moving towards Sanguine. "When he finally told us what was going on I didn't want to believe it. But knowing who was behind it..." Anders flinched. "A lot things finally began to make sense." She moved behind Daisy. "Daisy, do you have anything to say for yourself?"_

_"__Meredith," Daisy pleaded, looking down at her bare feet. "We didn't...I just."_

_"__Enough." Meredith stepped forward, thrusting her sword through Daisy's back and then shoving her off it. She raised a hand at the screams, trying to calm the escorts down. "Settle down. Get a hold of yourselves. This will all be over soon." She moved to Sanguine. "We appreciate your cooperation, Sanguine, but we can't trust snitches. So..." Sanguine was thrown to the floor as well after being impaled by Meredith's blade. She handed off the weapon to one of her guards. "Take that. And clean it. The rest of you, get __out__."_

_Anders made to follow the scurrying of the others. He didn't get far. Meredith snatched his collar and dragged him back into the room. "Let me __go__."_

_"__No." Meredith threw him across the room, watching him fall against one of the dressers. "Ser Otto is here for you, you know. But..." She advanced upon him, wrapping her arms around his throat. "You betrayed me. You almost tore down everything I know, everything I hold close. You nearly destroyed everything." Her hands began to close around his flesh, cutting off his air supply. "A public execution's too dignified for you. You should be put down like a __beast__." _

_Anders tried to beat her off of him. When that failed him, he reached behind him and searched the dresser for something that would be used as a weapon. One of the drawers fell open by chance and he caught a glimpse of metal. _

_"__What's the matter? Lost your fight?" His sudden lapse in struggling irked Meredith._

_"__No. I just found it."_

_Meredith didn't feel the knife enter her side. She felt the warm rush of blood leak through her clothing first. Anders pushed her off and sank the blade into her shoulder this time, driving her to her knees. "I tried to be merciful," he told her coldly. "But what you do here is too vile to go unpunished." He grabbed the chain around her neck and tore it off, key and all. _

_He reached into the drawer and took out the rod of fire and the map. He located what was labeled as the "quiet room" on the map and headed there, checking the halls for Meredith's guards left and right. _

_The "quiet room" was locked; Meredith's skeleton key took care of that. Hawke could barely stand on her own when Anders pulled her out of the small, dark closet. She glanced behind him. "How? And where's-"_

_"__It's just us now." When Hawke didn't move Anders urged her onward. "We have to go. Now."_

_She only nodded her consent before she followed him around the corner. They paused and Hawke checked the map before deciding their path. They stopped outside of Meredith's office. There Anders took the rod of fire and set the place ablaze, hoping to distract the guards long enough to make their escape. Hawke kept the knife in hand in case they found trouble. They only ran into Cullen who just looked at them with red, weary eyes and motioned for them to continue on. They didn't need to be told twice. _

_The fire had grown to large to remain unnoticed. They heard the shouts of alarm as the fire spread. Even the guards at the exit left their post to investigate. Anders took the key and unlocked the door, opening it to their first breath of fresh air in ages. Hawke stumbled outside, looking up to see stars patterned across the sky. She laughed softly, under her breath. "We're out."_

_"__No. Not yet," Anders cursed, and he pulled her down to hide behind a few large crates. "There are guards outside. They'll see us."_

_"__We can't stay here!" Hawke whispered hoarsely. "And we're not going back. They'll do worse than kill us."_

_Anders bit his lip, thinking hard. "This can't be. We did everything right. The map, fire, the key...the knife...And one thing more."_

_Hawke grabbed his arm, her fingers digging into his arm. "There was __another__item? Why didn't you mention this before?"_

_"__I didn't know what it was...I..." Anders stilled, quieting down. Hawke looked unnerved by his silence. _

_"__What? What is it?"_

_"__It's me." Of course it bloody was. It couldn't have been anything else. "I'll distract them and when they come for me, you get out. You go to the docks and find a ship. You get free." He turned to Hawke, expecting to see her grimly nodding but instead he found her flushed and angry. _

_"__No. I'm not leaving you, too." She was shaking her head, refusing to look at him. "It's not an option."_

_She had to know that was a lie. "It's the only option." Anders lifted her chin up with a few calloused fingers. "You escape and you go tell your mother what Sunshine said. You were the only one of us that ever had a real chance. You're the strongest. You live. For all of us." He dropped his hand. "This was never my story, anyway. Get ready. I'm going-"_

_When Anders tried to stand up Hawke quickly pulled him back down. She silenced any of his protests by placing her hand tightly over his mouth. She waited until his lips stopped moving before she gently took her hand away and replaced it with her mouth. "I haven't __wanted__to do that for years." Hawke let him go, but the aching in her chest stayed. "I'll live. I'll remember you. And I'll remember all of them."_

_Anders heard her promise through ringing ears. "Goodbye, Hawke. And...I'm glad it's you."_

_His first steps were sluggish and unsure before he realized what he was doing and who he was doing it for. His steps quickened, falling into a purposeful stride. The guards were clumped together, most of them drinking and talking too loudly. They saw Anders approach and exchanged confused glances. One of them, the biggest of the bunch, went up to him and asked, "What are you doing out here, whore?"_

_Anders looked behind him to see Hawke sneaking around them, her hand on one of Hightown's walls for balance. Once she turned the corner she'd be out of sight and on her way to freedom. Anders gave her a small nod before he turned back to the brutish guard._

_"__I said," he repeated loudly. "What are you-"_

_Anders cocked his fist and caught the man across the jaw. His knuckles stung as he watched the man stagger back to his feet. "You sonofabitch." The guard's fist cocked back as well, and, knowing what was coming, Anders closed his eyes and waited for the blow. _

_Ser Otto took away the branding iron with a surprised jerk. He looked at the other templars in shock. "Did you see that? He..." Ser Otto shook his head and stumbled out of the room. Orsino caught his arm before he ran into anything._

_"__Slow down, Ser," Orsino told him grimly. "We both know your eyes aren't the best anymore-"_

_Ser Otto cut him off. "I can see enough. And I saw how that man looked at me."_

_"__Anders?" Orsino asked, raising a finely arched brow. He looked back at the blond man in question. The mage was being escorted out by two templars. "They shouldn't have done that. Granted, he made a bit of trouble since he's been here. He helped another mage escape. And," Orsino couldn't help but chuckle. "He stabbed Meredith with a knife he stole from another templar. But he passed his Harrowing. This goes against Chantry Law."_

_"__But the papers they showed me...They had your signature on it, First Enchanter. Right next to Meredith's." _

_"__That's...impossible." Orsino grabbed the papers Ser Otto was holding up and scanned them. His signature was there, a very clever forgery. "Where's Meredith?" he growled, suddenly sick to his stomach._

_"__I've done this ritual many times, Enchanter," Ser Otto admitted. "And it makes me sick. I have to think that there's a better way. But that man...It was like he __wanted__me to do it."_

_Meredith found where the two templars were keeping Anders. Cullen was there as well, supervising. "Has it been done?" _

_Cullen glared at her. "Look. See for yourself. He won't be causing you anymore trouble__, Knight-Commander.__"_

_"__Are we sure of that?" she asked, stepping inside the small room. The other templars backed away. _

_"__Knight-Commander," one of them stammered, rubbing his dark hands together. "He's __gone__. We should just leave him be. He can't-"_

_"__How can I be sure this isn't another one of his conjurations? Hold him still." Meredith moved forward. Cullen placed a hand on her shoulder._

_"__Knight-Commander, all due respect, but we will not help you with this...folly." Cullen motioned for the other templars to leave, which they did eagerly. "I'm going to find the Grand Cleric."_

_"__How __dare__you!" she began, but Cullen was already gone. She turned back to Anders and crouched down in front of him. "Are you not here, boy? Is that it? You're in some paradise where I can't reach you?" she mocked him. "No. You are __here__. You answer to __me__. Do you understand that, mage?" There was no answer, which infuriated her further. One of her armored hands wrapped around his throat and squeezed. "__Answer me__!" _

_"__Meredith!" The Grand Cleric scolded, backed up by the First Enchanter, Cullen, and one of the Brothers she had brought from the Chantry. "Let him go."_

_"__What do you think I'm going to do to him?" Meredith demanded, trying to shove Cullen away from her. "Look at him! He's not here anymore." Cullen got a hold of one of her arms and the Chantry Brother took the other. They started dragging her out. She struggled against them. "Grand Cleric! I protect these mages! I had to stop him!"_

_"__He passed his Harrowing, Meredith," Orsino reminded her darkly. "You forged my signature."_

_The Grand Cleric took a minute to decide what orders to give the men. "Get her out of here. Lock her up until I can decide what to do." She examined the man who was sitting right where Meredith left him. "Are you all right?"_

_Anders stared past her, the Tranquil brand fresh and bright on his forehead. New bruises were forming, but the pain didn't reach him. Nothing did._

_Hawke wandered the docks, straightening out her new tunic and leggings. She tried not to look out of place, but she couldn't help continuously checking for templars. It was a habit she couldn't afford to break. _

_There was only one ship setting out that day and it looked suspiciously like a raider ship. She couldn't be picky, but she worried that if the raiders found out what she was they'd sell her back to the templars. Well, there was really only one way to find out. Hawke waited until a few of the raiders formed a line and started boarding the ship. After a moment's wait, Hawke fell into line as well. The lanky elf ahead of her paused before he stepped on the ramp leading onto the main deck and looked back at her. She almost thought there was something familiar in his grim expression, though she averted her eyes before she could figure out how she knew him. _

_And finally. This question. The mystery of whose story it will be. Of who draws the curtain. Who is it that chooses our steps in the dance? Who drives us mad? Lashes us with whips and crowns us with victory when we survive the impossible. Who is it? That does all these things? _

_Hawke's eyes caught a familiar glint of silver armor and she tried to rush on. A hand on her shoulder kept her still._

_"__Hold. We need to ask you a few questions." _

_Hawke fingered her now very short hair, avoiding the templar's direct gaze. She had hoped her new haircut would help her hide. That didn't seem to be the case. She tried to speak, but for once her clever tongue failed to come up with anything that would help her. _

_"__Is there a problem, gentleman?" A dwarf appeared at the edge of the boat, interrupting the templar's interrogation. Hawke thought about the humor of a dwarf on a boat and dismissed the idea quickly. Jokes weren't going to get her anywhere here._

_"__This doesn't concern you, dwarf. We just want to have a little chat with this young lady."_

_A dark haired woman entered the scene as well. She sauntered over to the dwarf and laid an arm around his shoulders. She was definitely a raider. "Can you make it snappy, Varric? We need to stay on schedule."_

_"__As you wish, my dear Isabela." Varric shot the templars a look._

_One of them nodded. "We understand, dwarf."_

_"__Do you?__" __he asked them, raising a brow and snorting. "This woman has been a part of this crew since we left Ferelden. I just let her off for so she could run some errands. I don't see what she could possible know about what was happening around here."_

_"__Is that true, miss?"_

_Hawke nodded her consent. The other templar said apologetically, "All right."_

_Varric smirked and added unnecessarily, "Oh, and one more thing. She's been a joy the entire journey." _

_"__I said all right," the templar replied a little forcefully. To Hawke he said, "Sorry, miss." The templars turned to question another woman. _

_Hawke hesitated, scarcely believing what had just happened. She went to the dwarf and told him quietly, "I think you have me confused with another sailor. I've never been on this ship before in my life."_

_"__Oh, I know that," he chuckled, waving a hand. "Buy me a drink next time we dock and we'll call it even. And Isabela won't mind me hiring a pretty human girl." Varric turned and motioned for someone to walk over to them. "I'll have Fenris take you below deck. Find you somewhere to get some rest."_

_"__Thank you." She felt a pang in her chest at this dwarf's kindness. She had fully expected to fight tooth and nail for her freedom every minute of every day. _

_"__I'll go inform Isabela you've been hired so she doesn't throw you overboard by mistake."_

_Varric left her and the elf, Fenris, he had motioned to before came to lead her down. "This way."_

_She swallowed, her throat suddenly very dry. "Okay," she managed to choke out. _

_The elf's dark brow furrowed at that. A second later he was removing the water skin at his hip and giving it to her. "This will help with that."_

_Snatching it up, Hawke took a long swallow. Once the taste hit her she realized it wasn't water she was drinking. "__Maker__, that's __bitter__. Did they make that wine from the tears of jilted peasant women? __Ugh__." _

_His mouth threatened to quirk up into a ghost of a smile, but only for a moment. "I can take it back."_

_"__No, thank you," she shook her head and fell upon the upon the first cot she saw. _

_"__That bed's __mine__." _

_"__Drag me off it then," she muttered, her voice muffled by the mattress. She waited for further argument or to actually be dragged from the bed. Instead he left her alone. Perhaps he had somewhere to be. That was likely. Or perhaps he noticed how tightly she was clenching the blankets and how hard she was trying to keep from trembling. That was considerably less likely._

_She remembered the others, who helped get her here. She had to recall their faces, lest they slowly vanish from her memory. She could still see Daisy and Sanguine's large, sad eyes and how lonely they were. Sometimes Sanguine would speak of someone named Lily and he would look less sad, for a little while. Daisy brightened only when she spoke of her People or their history. _

_And Sunshine...__Bethany__. When Hawke tried to bring up her face she kept seeing those dead eyes. Trying to remember Blondie was just as bad. He had looked at her before those men had jumped him. He had mouthed three words to her that she tried to drive from her mind. It was too soon to think of such things._

_Hawke sighed angrily. That was a lot of people to live for, but right now she had to focus and make sure this Captain Isabela didn't find out how terrible of a sailor she was._

_The ache in her chest was still there. Time might be able to lessen the dull throb. At the very least sleep wouldn't hurt. Hawke took another gulp of wine, made a face, and waited for her exhaustion to overcome her. _

_Who honors those we love for the very life we live? Who sends monsters to kill us? And at the same time sings that we'll never die. Who teaches us what's real? And how to laugh at lies? Who decides why we live and what we'll die to defend? Who chains us? And who holds the key that will set us free?_

_It's you. You have all the weapons you need. _

_Now fight._


End file.
